Men dropping like slaughtered beeves: Corporal Law of the 154th Tennessee Recalls Shiloh

Corporal John Gordon Law had scarcely fired his first shot after joining his 154th Tennessee on the field at Shiloh before hearing a sickening thud as a Yankee bullet struck a captured canteen he had slung over his shoulder. He soon noticed the sensation of wetness on his hip. “As the water poured out and soaked through to my skin, I imagined that the blood was gushing from a mortal wound and, without waiting to see what damage my body had sustained, I started off to the surgeon,” he confessed in his diary.

It proved the end of the battle for the Tennessean. “After an examination by Dr. Woodward, the gratifying discovery was made that my canteen had received a mortal wound, while I had escaped with a slight flesh wound, which, however, would have proved more serious but for the protection afforded by the canteen in breaking the force of the ball. More water than blood was shed, and I am thankful for my escape with my life.” Law was placed in a wagon with other wounded men and started down the long jostling ride to Corinth, Mississippi.

          Having shared a portion of Corporal Law’s Diary previously in “The Old 154th Can’t Be Whipped” which gives his experiences of the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, it is my pleasure to present his story of surviving the battle of Shiloh. The diary was originally published as part of the Southern Historical Society papers in 1883.

 

Walking over a portion of the field scattered with dead and wounded men, Corporal Law exchanged his plain tin canteen for a cloth-covered Federal canteen like the one above that "some Yankee had kindly left for my accommodation. Soon after coming into possession of this valuable property, my heart was touched by a piteous cry for water. I stopped and kneeling by the side of a Federal soldier who was badly wounded, placed the canteen to his lips and expressed sympathy for him in his terrible suffering." A short time later, a bullet crashed into the canteen leading Law to mistakenly believe he had received a mortal wound.
(Horse Soldier)

Sunday, April 6, 1862.-Have been quite unwell for several days and came on to Corinth with the sick a few days since and engaged a room at the hotel. The quiet of this Sabbath morning is disturbed by the sullen boom of cannon in the direction of Tennessee river. The blood boils in my veins and moves me to shoulder arms and march to the scene of the conflict. Trusting not in Beauregard, nor in the valor of our troops, but in God, victory must perch upon our banners.

Six o'clock p.m.- Have just halted for supper and a little rest, after a walk of ten miles. The incessant roar of artillery is still heard, and from the sick and wounded who are on their way to Corinth from the battlefield I learn that the Confederates, under General Albert Sidney Johnston, attacked the Federal army under General Grant this morning, and that our troops are driving the enemy with heavy loss on both sides. We have driven them out of their encampments and have captured several batteries. This is glorious news. Will be off again in a few minutes and hope to reach the field of battle sometime tonight or early in the morning. The destiny of the Confederacy may hang upon the issue of this struggle. May God give us the victory!

 April 8, 1862-Suffering from a slight wound received in battle yesterday, I am now in a wagon with several other wounded soldiers en route for Corinth. I arrived on the ground that was fought over in the early part of the day, late Sunday night, and feeling much too fatigued to proceed further, I lay down on the ground to sleep, with no shelter from the rain that fell heavily during the night. The firing had ceased, and the stillness of death reigned. To many it was in reality the stillness of death. Our army had won the field, and the troops were sleeping in the tents of the enemy. But it was a costly victory. Alas, for our gallant leader, General Albert Sidney Johnston! He was sleeping the sleep that knows no waking until the morning of the resurrection. Death snatched the prize from his hand and tore the laurel wreath from his brow. Had he lived to follow up the advantage gained by his valorous troops, the Confederate army would not now be in full retreat but would be in hot pursuit of the flying foe.

Corporal Law believed that the had not General Albert Sidney Johnston been mortally wounded during the afternoon of the 6th, the Confederate army would have gained the victory. This belief eventually became widespread throughout the Confederacy.

Although we captured most of the enemy's artillery and took 6,000 prisoners, the engagement was renewed yesterday morning. The Federals were heavily reinforced by General Buell, who crossed the river during the night with a corps of fresh troops. My musket was the only reinforcement to the Confederate army that I am aware of. I arose early Monday morning and pressed forward in search of my regiment. But not knowing the locality of the different commands, I fell in with the first organized body that came in sight, which proved to be a part of Bowen's brigade, advancing in line of battle to the support of a battery that seemed to be hard pressed, and was pouring a stream of fire into the enemy at short range. Recognizing my old friend, Cad. Polk, of Columbia, Tenn., who was the Adjutant of an Arkansas regiment, I at once fell into line with his regiment. [This would have been the 9th or 10th Arkansas regiment, both of which served in General Bowen’s brigade at Shiloh.]

As we crossed a little ravine and ascended the slope of the hill, the battery retired under a heavy fire of musketry through our ranks and went into position on the opposite side of the ravine. We were ordered to lie down while the battery opened fire over our heads. At the same time a heavy volley of musketry was poured into our line by the enemy, who were plainly visible a few hundred yards in our front. The boys in gray then rose to their feet and delivered their fire with such deadly effect that the advance of the enemy was checked, the blue line staggered under the fire, reeled, broke, and rolled back in confusion, like a wave that breaks upon the rockbound shore and spends its fury in vain.

Then, resuming my search for my own regiment, and attracted by heavy firing on the left, I started in that direction, and passed over a part of the woods from which we had just driven the enemy. The ground was dotted with the blue uniforms of the dead and wounded, while canteens and haversacks were scattered here and there in great abundance. Having no water in my plain tin canteen, I picked up a splendid one well covered and full of water and threw it hastily over my shoulder. Some Yankee had kindly left it for my accommodation. Soon after coming into possession of this valuable property my heart was touched by a piteous cry for water. I stopped, and kneeling by the side of a Federal soldier, who was badly wounded, placed the canteen to his lips, expressed sympathy for him in his terrible suffering.

Hurrying on, I was soon in another line of battle hotly engaged with the enemy, who were plainly visible in heavy force through the open woods. There was no charging, but the two opposing lines were deliberately standing and pouring into each other a perfect hailstorm of bullets, while men were dropping like slaughtered beeves on both sides. A gallant officer was riding along the Confederate lines giving orders and inspiring the men by his valorous deeds and heroic courage in the face of death. It was Colonel Richmond, of General Polk's staff. My nerves grew steadier, and advancing to the front, I found myself all at once fighting in the ranks of the old 154th Tennessee regiment. There was no time to look for my company, so raising my gun I took deliberate aim and fired. It was my only shot, for as I was in the act of loading a ball came crashing through my canteen, and as the water poured out and soaked through to my skin, I imagined that the blood was gushing from a mortal wound and, without waiting to see what damage my body had sustained, started off to the surgeon.

This style of belt buckle was commonly issued to troops that later served in the Army of Tennessee. The 154th Tennessee, the senior regiment in the Tennessee militia, would fight with the AoT through the end of the war.  

On my arrival at the hospital tent, after an examination by Dr. Woodward, the gratifying discovery was made that my canteen had received a mortal wound, while I had escaped with a slight flesh wound, which, however, would have proved more serious but for the protection afforded by the canteen in breaking the force of the ball. More water than blood was shed, and I am thankful for my escape with my life. My hip is quite sore and as my wound is too painful to admit of my walking, I was placed in a wagon along with other wounded and started off to Corinth yesterday. We are having a rough time. The roads are in a dreadful condition, and the unmerciful jolting of the wagon extorts groans, and at times even shrieks, of pain from the poor fellows who are suffering from severe wounds.

 April 11th.-We are encamped about two miles from Corinth, on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. My wound is healing rapidly, though it is still quite painful. It was not serious enough for a furlough, and yet too serious to admit my reporting for duty. Many of my personal friends were killed in the bloody battle of Shiloh. The 154th Tennessee regiment lost 196 in killed and wounded. General Beauregard, for some reason, failed to follow up the success of Sunday's battle, and on Monday the army retreated in good order, leaving the Federals too badly crippled to follow in pursuit.

 April 14th.-Reported for duty, and spent the morning clearing my gun. Have felt somewhat depressed for the past few days. Fail in the discharge of Christian duty; do not read my Bible regularly' nor is my soul enlarged in prayer, and yet as I write the prayer arises in my heart that God may watch over our benighted camp, spread confusion throughout the camp of our enemies, and give us victory; that our independence may be speedily won, and our country restored to peace and harmony.

Source:

Diary of Corporal John Gordon Law, Co. E, 154th Tennessee Infantry, Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. 11 (1883), pgs. 460-463

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